Persona Non Grata: A Novel of the Roman Empire

“We know Downie is sharpening her knives for Ruso’s next surgically precise adventure. Enormous fun: another lively winner from a newly established mistress of the genre.”

—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

At long last, Gaius Petreius Ruso and his companion, Tilla, are headed home to Gaul. But with Tilla getting icy greetings from Ruso’s relatives, a family member having mysteriously drowned at sea, and the whole Ruso household teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, it’s hard to imagine an unhappier reunion. That is, until Severus, the family’s chief creditor, winds up dead, and the real trouble begins…

Engrossing, intricate, and—as always—wonderfully comic, Ruth Downie’s latest is a brilliant new installment in this irresistible series.